An Unexpected Pleasure
by eternalsunshines
Summary: Bella hires a personal trainer 6 months before her wedding. Little does she know that her entire world will be turned upside down by this individual. Bella/OMC, Bella/Edward. AU. All Human.
1. Preface

**A/N:** This story idea occurred to me the other day and I just went with it. I'm still in the process of figuring things out but I thought I'd post it up to see what people thought. Comments would make my day.

**Disclaimer:** All affiliated characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

**PREFACE**

As I walked down the aisle, many thoughts occurred to me simultaneously. Thoughts that I had not realized until this very moment, the moment that would bind my life forever to another.

"Bella? Bella, what's wrong?" A quiet, anxious voice pulled me out of my epiphany. I blinked and looked around. I hadn't realized that I had stopped walking, standing in the middle of the aisle. My eyes focused on the voice, Charlie. His eyes searched mine for an explanation as to why I just stood here, petrified. When I didn't answer he lightly shook me. My arm fell limp to my side, his hands were now placed on my shoulders.

"I-I…" I tried to speak but all that came out were fragmented pieces of words.

"Breath Bella, breath. What's wrong? Are you okay?" I did as I was told and attempted to speak again, this time succeeding.

"I'm fine dad. I just…zoned out, sorry." I finished lamely. Charlie looked at me disapprovingly, instantly I knew he didn't believe me. I had never been a good liar and now was no exception. My eyes wandered around, taking in my surroundings. I saw the beautiful arrangement of flowers that adorned the outside of the pews, the ancient wood architecture of the church, the sparkling chandelier above and finally…him.

He was looking at me, smiling. Even from here I could see the twinkle in his eyes, I could feel the happiness radiating from him. Then he did what I least expected, he extended his hand out to me. Offering me everything that I dreamed of, except one thing. A feeling of dread came over me and I had to look away.

"You don't have to do this Bella." I looked up, startled. Charlie had noticed.

"But I have to, Dad." I whispered.

"No, you don't. For once Bella, make yourself happy and not others. Is this what you really want?" The emotions that flickered past Charlie's face knocked the wind out me. I grabbed onto his arm for support. I swallowed the lump in my throat. My head was spinning; my father's unexpected caring words, the sudden revelations that I had made and the dread that I was feeling, all came crashing down on me. Was I making the right choice? Is this what I really wanted? Why were these thoughts just occurring to me? Was I really in love with the man waiting for me at the altar?

I looked back up to Charlie and blinked away the tears that were threatening to fall. I had to follow through, I had made a promise and I was going to keep it.

"Yes dad, this is what I want." My voice held a conviction that surprised not only Charlie but me as well. I wrapped my right arm around Charlie's left arm, brought the bouquet back up, and started to walk again. As I walked the remaining path to the altar, I looked straight ahead. The last thing I wanted to see was the expression on the guests face, they probably thought I belonged in a mental institution. I then felt the veil being pulled back, Charlie whispering something to my soon-to-be-husband and handing my hand over to him. Charlie had to practically yank my hand from his arm, he handed my hand over hesitantly. Just before he let my hand go, Charlie glanced at me. In that one glance, I knew he was asking me if was picking the right man to marry. I merely nodded at him and turned to see the man that I was to begin my life with. His smile was beaming, the twinkle in his eye blinding me and his hand holding mine protectively. As I looked at our intertwined hands, I couldn't help but imagine _him_ instead. I closed my eyes and imagined his eyes, his smile and his hand. I felt a tear trickle down my face but as soon as it fell, a finger gently rubbed it away. I opened my eyes and to my disappointment, saw blue eyes staring down at me. I heard a cough and looked toward the priest

"Are we ready to begin?" I nodded my head quickly. I just wanted to get this over with. The priest began his speech. I knew I should of paid attention since it was the most important day of my life but I couldn't get his face out of my head. Unconsciously, I drowned out the priest's voice and replaced it with his voice. I thought back to our conversations, our time spent together, the way our laughter filled the room, how my hand fit perfectly in his. A smile began to form on my lips as I was pulled back to reality.

"If anyone objects to this holy matrimony speak now or forever hold your peace." The priest's words fell from his mouth, circled around the church, and landed in my ear. This was my chance, I could still back out. I still had a chance to go back to him. I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out. I forced the words to leave my mouth, but they stayed inside, trapped. I closed my eyes, defeated. Tears began to fill my eyes, my breathing became staggered and I gripped onto the bouquet as if my life depended on it. Then, I heard the voice of my savior.

"I object!"


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N:** First off, I want to thank everyone that read and commented. You made my day! Second of all, this is dedicated to Edward! Happy Birthday, love! And last but not least, enjoy!

**p.s.** Our " personal trainer" will make his appearance soon, hang tight.

**Disclaimer:** All affiliated characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

**CHAPTER 1**

_6 months prior to the wedding…_

A strong wave of anxiety took over my body as I looked at the building in front of me. My breathing came in shallow gasps and my hands began to tremble. The mannequins on the window display stared back at me, taunting me with their attire.

_I couldn't do this. _

I was about to back away from the store and run to the safety of my car when I heard someone shout my name.

"Bella!" The owner of the voice crossed the street and walked towards me. I placed a smile on my face and cleared my throat.

"Hey, Jess!" I yelled back, hoping my voice sounded as cheerful as hers. She pulled me into a hug as she reached me. I hugged her back, needing the comfort she was offering. Jessica pulled away and the smile on her face fell the instant she took in my appearance.

"Bella, are you okay? You look a little under the weather." Concern was laced into every word she spoke.

"Umm...yeah, I'm fine." I smiled. Hoping to convince her, even though I knew I wouldn't be able to.

"Are you sure? You're sweating up a storm." Her eyes flashed up to my forehead. I hadn't even realized I had started to sweat. I rubbed the perspiration away from my face and looked back up at her, my smile widening.

"I'm fine, I promise. I'm just a bit nervous." Comprehension swept over her face, her smile returned. I breathed out a quite sigh of relief, having avoided her line of questions.

"It's okay, Bella. Everything will work out, trust me. We still have a while until the wedding. I'm sure we'll find a dress by then."

If only she knew that I was worried for a completely different reason but I couldn't tell her that. She could believe whatever she wanted to believe.

"I guess I am worrying a bit too much. Shall we get started?" I responded, confirming her suspicions.

"Yeah, let's go!" Jessica clapped her hands, opened the door to the boutique and walked in ahead of me. I looked at the bridal shop one last time and took a deep breath.

_I could do this. I had to do this. _

I opened the door, with my head held high, and walked in. As soon as I stepped into the store I knew I was in for a long and tiring day. Every square inch of the shop was occupied by a broad range of dresses, shoes and accessories. I was already beginning to feel overwhelmed and we had just arrived. Jessica was flipping through the dresses on the racks. An array of emotions flickered past her face as she judged the dresses; one second it was astonishment and the next it was revulsion. I was pulled out of my thoughts by a young woman approaching us.

"Hello. Welcome to Jean's Bridal Boutique. My name is Angela, can I help you ladies with anything?" I opened my mouth to speak but was cut off abruptly.

"Hi. I'm Jessica and this is Bella…" Jessica motioned with her hand towards me. I smiled and waved at Angela, she returned the gesture.

"Bella is going to get married in six months and we need to find the perfect dress for her. A dress that is simple yet elegant while maintaining an essence of youth. Basically, the kind of dress that renders everyone speechless. I've compiled a list of what we are looking for in a dress." Jessica handed the list over to Angela, who looked at it with wide eyes. I couldn't help the giggle that escaped my mouth.

"Oh…wow. This is quite a handful. How about we start with your size?" Angela looked over at me, folding the list back up and placing it in her pocket. I smiled and nodded my head.

"Yes, let's start with that." I replied.

"Oh god, another one? How many have we been through already?" I frowned at the dress that was shoved through the dressing room door.

"Just a couple more, Bella. I have a feeling that we're getting close."

"That's what you said five dresses ago, Angela. I'm so tired of this." I muttered under my breath, shaking my head in frustration. I was aware that I probably sound like a child but I didn't care. My patience was long gone. The gown that I was currently trying on was gorgeous. Then again every gown that I was given was gorgeous until it was placed on my body. It felt as if I was stealing the beauty away from the dresses by wearing it. After trying on a dress, I looked into the mirror and felt uncomfortable, awkward and anything but beautiful. On every gown we found imperfections. In one dress I looked shorter than I was and in another the white looked morbid against my already pale skin. The list went on and on. I zipped up the dress, closed my eyes and stumbled my way to the showcase area of the shop.

"So…how's it look?" I said to Angela and Jessica. I peeked a look at them when I didn't hear a response. The look on their faces said it all.

"Umm...it's better than the last one?" Angela's statement sounded more like a question than a compliment. I held back the tears that were ready to make their escape. My feet dragged themselves onto the platform in the middle of the shop. I closed my eyes once again, turned toward the 360 degree mirror and opened my eyes. Angela was wrong, this dress did not look better than the last. If anything it was the worst of the bunch. The bow placed under the bust of the dress was supposed to give the illusion that I had a big chest but it was too exaggerated and looked out of place. The train of the dress was too long and with my luck I was sure to trip over it. To top it all off, the fabric under the dress was itchy and kept riding up. I turned around to face Jessica and Angela, a sad smile on both of their faces. As I stepped down from the platform, ready to change into my normal clothing, Angela's voice stopped me.

"Wait...I have one more dress that you could try. It arrived just today. Let me run back and get it." Before I could protest Angela was running through the store towards the back room.

"Jessica, I've had enough for one day. Can we please go home?" The tone of my voice must of sounded desperate because Jessica was on her feet in an instant.

"Here Bella. Please try this on one, please. I think this is the one." Angela placed the dress in my arms.

"Angela, I appreciate your help, I really do. But I just want to go home and I'm sure you do to. It's well past closing hours. Why don't we just leave this for another day?" As I said this I started to place the dress back into her arms but was stopped.

"Please Bella. Just one more? What's the worst that could happen?" I sighed loudly and shuffled my way back to the dressing room. Following my new routine, I put on the dress, not bothering to see how beautiful it was, closed my eyes and walked back out. My feet stepped onto the platform and I spun towards my two person audience. I heard what I least expected, gasps.

"Oh...my...god. That's it! That's the one!" Clapping, laughter and squeals of joy invade my ears. The sounds were so foreign that it took me a while to recognize them. I felt two hands spin me around towards the mirror.

"Bella, open your eyes." Jessica's voice encouraged me. I took a deep breath and willed my eyes to open, slowly. What I saw, took my breath away.


	3. Chapter 2, Part 1

**Disclaimer:** All affiliated characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

**A/N:** Hello Everyone! Thank you again to everyone that commented, you are amazing! This chapter is broken up into different parts. But I assure you that the last part will be worth the wait. After this chapter, many of your questions will be answered and a certain someone will finally come into play. Until then, enjoy. Comments make my world go 'round!

**CHAPTER 2, PART 1.**

The person looking back at me was a complete stranger. I blinked a few times to make sure that it was me. _It was me_. I let out a breath I didn't even know I had been holding. My hands ran over the fabric of the dress, taking in every detail.

"What do you think, Bella?" I was pulled out of my trance by Angela. I smiled at her, answering her question. I had yet to smile at any other dress I had tried on. Jessica, circled me, scrutinizing every aspect of the dress with her trained eyes. She stopped behind me and leaned in close.

"This dress has exquisite detail. It must of taken them forever to stitch in all of these flowers and sequins. The sweep train is just what you need, Bella. It's barely touches the floor so you won't have a problem with tripping on it. The strapless neckline enhances your shoulders and leaves us many options for jewelry. You look beautiful, Bella." Her eyes met mine in the mirror, a somber expression in them. The smile on her face look forced but her words sounded honest. I pushed those thoughts away from my head and focused on what she had said. I spun around, looking at myself from every angle. When I tried to take in a deep breath and let it out, I noticed something that confirmed my fears-no dress would ever be happy on my body.

"I hate to break the mood but we have a little problem." As soon as I said those words, horror took over Angela's and Jessica's features. They started to speak but this time I cut them off.

"I love the dress, I really do. But…it's a little tight. Well, more than a little. I can't even breath in it." My words came out in a gush.

"Bella, that's how it's supposed to feel. Don't worry you'll get used to it." Jessica nodded her head, pleased with her explanation.

"You don't understand. It feels like this dress is squeezing the life out of me. I can't even move in it." My breath came in short gasps as I explained how serious the problem was.

"Can you try something for me Bella? I might know what the problem is." Angela spoke to me softly, soothing my nerves.

"Sure." I responded back. One word answers were easier to manage.

"Suck in your tummy and hold it in. Can you do that, Bella?" It sounded like she was speaking to a child instead of an adult. I didn't blame her, I would do the same thing if I was in her place. I did as she was told and noticed the difference instantly. Once again, I heard gasps and whipped my head around in their direction. Jessica just stared while Angela had a small smile on her face. By sucking in my tummy, I filled the bust of the dress to it's potential and my body felt comfortable in the dress. The wedding gown no longer stuck onto my frame but held on perfectly. I let out my tummy, needing the oxygen.

"This is a very common situation among the brides that come in…" Angela began to explain. At once, I felt comforted by her words. I wasn't the only person that had this problem, I wasn't alone. My ears listened intently to everything she had to say.

"…I've seen it happen time and time again. The bride finds the perfect dress but notices that it's tight. The solution is easier said than done, though. Unfortunately, some of the brides end up buying a completely different gown because they couldn't fit into the original one instead. No matter how hard they tried, it just didn't fit in the end." Angela finished and I felt many feelings course through my body; sympathy, frustration and most of all, determination.

I turned towards the mirror again and took in my appearance one last time. I would succeed in what those other woman had failed. My mind was set and nothing would make me go back on my decision. _Nothing_.


	4. Chapter 2, Part 2

**Disclaimer:** All affiliated characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

**A/N:** Sorry for the delay everyone. After many unforeseen complications, I finally finished this part. I have one request for my lovely readers. Please, just read through the entire part before flaming me all right? Every thing I write is there for a reason and will be explained sooner or later. Our beloved character will be here soon. Thank you for reading and I would love to know what you think of this part.

**CHAPTER 2, PART 2.**

"Thank you so much for you help, Angela. You've been wonderful." I gave Angela a hug. I don't think anyone else would of done a better job at handling the entire day like she did.

"It's been a pleasure. You'll have to stop by and show me how the dress looks on you in a couple of months." The smile on her face was genuine and sincere, I couldn't help but smile back.

"I have a better proposition, why don't you just see it the day of the wedding?" The smile on her face grew as she pulled me into another hug. Jessica and I walked out of the store after our goodbyes to Angela and headed in the direction of the parking lot.

The Seattle skyline was invaded by a clump of dark clouds that moved slowly across the horizon. Cold air swooshed around us, sending my hair flying into my face. March weather was at its worst and I couldn't wait until it was over. Jessica immediately began to list off all the things we had yet to accomplish for the wedding. I sighed quietly and focused on anything but the upcoming months. I hugged my jacket closer to my body and looked down at the pavement as I walked, concentrating on the cracks.

"Bella? Bella, are you listening to me?" My head snapped up, Jessica was impatient to say the least.

"Umm…no, sorry. I was thinking about…" My brain went over a million different lies to tell her, each one more incredulous than the last. "…the wedding. Yeah, I was thinking about the wedding. Sorry, what were you saying?" I opened my car door and threw my purse inside.

"I was saying how I need to meet with you and your fiancé tomorrow. We need to get together to discuss the invitations." I cringed inwardly at the mention of that word…fiancé.

"Yeah, sure. No problem, I'll be sure to tell him. What time do you need us to come in?" Jessica pulled an agenda out of her bag, turned it to the appropriate date and searched for a time slot that she could fit us into.

"Well, the only time I have available is at 10:30 in the morning. Is that okay?" I mentally went over anything that I had going on at that time. To my dismay, I had the day off tomorrow.

"That's perfect, Jess. I'll see you tomorrow." Jessica smiled and hugged me goodbye. I quickly jumped into my car, thankful that the day was almost over.

As I walked into my dark apartment, an overwhelming feeling of loneliness swept over me. Without bothering to turn the lights on I walked over to my phone, the beeping red light telling me I had a message. I pushed the button and half-listened to my messages.

"Congratulations, you've been selected to participate in an exciting-" I rolled my eyes and skipped over the message. Stupid telemarketers.

"Hey Bella. I was just calling to see how your day went. I bet dress hunting was pure torture, huh? Call me back as soon as you hear this message. I-I lov…miss you, Bella. Bye."

I sucked in a quick breath at the words he almost spoke. Not wanting to focus on those three words, I picked up the phone and dialed his phone number.

"Hello?" A groggy voice responded, my eyes glanced toward the clock in my kitchen-11:00 p.m. It was later than I realized, I should of waited until the morning to call.

"Hey Mike. Did I wake you up? I'm sorry. I'll call back tomorrow morning, okay?" My finger was already on the 'talk' button, ready to end the call.

"No. It's okay. I was just napping. How was your day?" He sounded exhausted.

" It was…horrific." No other word could depict the entire day.

"That bad huh?" I could hear the chuckle behind his words. A small smile spread over my lips, but as soon as it appeared, it vanished.

"Yeah, pretty much. But in the end, we found a dress. I had to put a deposit on it so they could hold it for me. I'm going to make monthly payments until I finish paying for the dress." I walked into my bedroom, flipping the light switch on.

"Bella, why didn't you call me? I could've sent someone to pay for the dress. You don't have to worry about making payments for it." The tone in Mike's voice changed just like I expected it to.

"I know. But, I don't want you or your family to pay for this entire wedding. I want to contribute too, if only just for a small part of it." I quickly changed into my pajamas and headed for the bathroom.

"Please Bella. Let me just do this for you, okay? You've helped out my family and I beyond belief." My legs gave out from the entire day as I fell onto my bed. I didn't feel like arguing with him, so to his joy, I gave in. Just as I was about to hang up with him, something occurred to me.

"Jessica wants to meet with us tomorrow. to go over the invitations." The prospect of tomorrow sent a new wave of panic over me. Time was doing it's job and I had yet to come to terms with what I was doing.

"Jessica? Who's Jessica?" I nodded my head in frustration.

"Jessica is the wedding planner remember? I hired her a couple of weeks ago. She's been a huge help." I reminded him.

"It must of slipped my mind. What time does she want to see us?"

"She said about 10:30 in the morning. Her office is a couple of blocks away from where you work. I'll meet up with you in the parking lot and you can follow me there." My mind voiced out the plan before I had a chance to even think about it. Lately, my mind had been making a lot of decisions for me.

"Why don't I just pick you up? That would be easier." Mike responded back.

"I have things to do early in the morning…wedding stuff. I'll just meet you at your job,

okay?" Once again, my mind did the talking. I heard his sigh and knew I had convinced him.

"Fine, I'll see you tomorrow. Night, Bella." I could hear him hesitating, wanting to say something.

"Night, Mike." I quickly ended the call before he could say anything else.

As I curled up in bed the day's events began to catch up with me. I hugged a pillow as I finally left the tears flow. Without my permission, my mind thought back to the day that changed my life forever.

_"Mike! Calm down. I can't understand what you're saying." I swerved through Seattle traffic, honking at the cars that blocked my way._

_"She's dying, Bella. She's…oh god." I clutched my cell phone as I heard a heart-breaking sob come from Mike._

_"But…But, I thought she just had the flu."_

_"I don't know what happened. The doctor says we should start saying our goodbyes. She could go at any moment. Please, hurry Bella." Mike's desperate voice caused me to disregard the speed limit._

_"I'm hurrying. I'll be there in five minutes." I hung up the phone and focused on getting to my destination. _

_I drove up the driveway that led to Mike's house, parked my car and ran inside. My legs walked up the grand stair case, as if they knew exactly where to go. I stopped outside a door where muffled voices could be heard from within. When I opened the door the scene playing out in front of me almost brought me to my knees. _

_Mike's eyes flashed to me when he heard the door open, the look in his eyes one I had never seen before-devastation. I heard him whisper something to the woman lying on the bed. She turned to look at me, a smile on her face. I approached her and sat down where Mike had been sitting previously. _

_"Hey, Grams." I whispered out, not being able to manage anything else. From behind me I felt Mike's hand on my shoulder, silently thanking me. The door shut and I looked down to woman staring back up at me. _

_"Hi, Beautiful." Despite myself, I smiled. She had taken to calling me that, "Beautiful", even though I thought otherwise. _

_"Bella, I know I don't have much time left-" I stopped her, I wouldn't allow her to give up._

_"Don't say that. You're just a little sick. You'll be better in a few-" It was her turn to cut me off._

_"Please, Bella. Just listen to me, okay?" I nodded my head. She sighed and took in a deep breath. Her hand held mine, holding on tightly._

_"Oh, Bella. You've grown into such a beautiful woman. It's been like watching a flower bloom before my very eyes. Our lives have never been the same since we met you. Each member of this family loves you very much. You know that right?" I nodded my head, words at this point were impossible. _

_"That makes me very happy. I hope that you love us as well."_

_"Of course I do, Grams. I love all of you." I said with honesty. The Newton's were my family. They took me in and loved me unconditionally when no one else could. A smile, that I would never forget, crossed her face. _

_"Thank you, Bella. We will always be here for you. No matter what. Always remember that." Grams' breaths were coming in shallow gasps. Her body was fighting a losing battle and there was nothing I could do to stop it. _

_"There's…one thing I want to…ask of you, Bella. One last…request." _

_"What is it, Grams? I'll do anything you ask of me." I told her quickly through my tears._

_"Please, please…" She whispered, I leaned in closer to hear her._

_"Please, take care of Michael for me. I know he's going to struggle after I'm gone." By this point, I couldn't hold back the tears anymore. Nor the sobs that took over my body._

_"He loves you, Bella. He really loves you. You should see the look on his face when he talks about you. It's like watching a child on Christmas morning." What she said next stopped my entire world. In that instant, life as I knew it would never be the same again. _

_"There's no one else in the entire world that would take better care of Michael than you, Bella. Please, watch over him. Make my grandson happy." Grandma Newton's eyes were full of hope, love and trust. Forgetting about the consequences, I looked into her eyes and said the words she wanted to hear._

_"I will, Grandma. I promise." She smiled and took in a deep breath, closing her eyes. I felt her squeeze my hand one last time before it went limp. The smile stayed on her face even after she stopped breathing. I gasped in shock and covered my mouth with my hands._

_No, No, this couldn't be happening._

_"Grandma? Grandma!" My sobs and tears increased as I took in the situation._

_"Oh god, no! Please, no, no, no!" I fell to the floor, my entire frame shaking. The door opened as I heard hurried footsteps coming towards me. Someone picked me up off the floor and cradled me in their arms, out of the room. _

_The bed sunk under my weight as I buried my head into a pillow, desperate to muffle my sobs. I felt someone sit next to me, their fingers going through my hair. The action was supposed to soothe me but it did the exact opposite. I turned my head towards him. His eyes were red, puffy and glazed over with tears that desperately tried to break free. It was like looking into a mirror. It didn't matter who got closer but I soon found myself wrapped in his arms. I was holding onto Mike for dear life and he was doing the same. Our tears, sobs and thoughts all going toward the one person we would miss immensely. At that moment I didn't care about the future or what was to come, all I cared about was losing someone so close to my heart. The future could wait, I would handle everything as it came to me. Everything would be all right. At least that's what I told myself._

On that day I vowed myself to keep the promise I had made. If not for me, then for her. I cried myself to sleep, as I did every night, and dreamt about what my life would have been like, had I not made that promise. In my dreams, I wasn't getting married to a man I didn't fall in love with.


	5. Chapter 2, Part 3

**Disclaimer**: All affiliated characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

**A/N:** Hey everyone! So, in short, a lot of things have happened over the last few weeks that have delayed this update. You can read what happened at the end of the chapter, if you are interested. Now, I have no idea how personal trainers work in RL. I did a bit of research but that's as far as I went. So, if anything is wrong please tell me and I'll fix it. I'll try to update once more before Breaking Dawn comes out but I can't promise anything. I will for sure update after I'm done reading the book. We only have to wait 3 more days! Ah! I would love it if you guys told me what you think of this chapter. After this chapter, things will really start to roll. Enjoy!

Also, I have a question. What happens to my documents when they run out of "life" after 60 days? Do I have to upload them again? haha. I'm so confused as to what I should do. If anyone could tell me what to do, I would appreciate it immensely.

**p.s.** I dedicate this chapter to sallox and vonbear, over on lj, because they're freaking amazing. :D

CHAPTER 2. PART 3.

My fingers drummed impatiently against the steering wheel as I waited for Mike in the parking lot. I glanced toward the clock on the dashboard and cursed under my breath-10:45 a.m. As I placed my hand over the car horn, ready to honk it, I thought better of it and took out my cell phone instead. A loud tapping on my window caused me to jump in my seat, sending my phone flying into the back seat. I glared at Mike before reaching behind and picking up my phone from the floor. He was still smiling as I rolled down the window.

"Where have you been? I told you to meet me here at 10:30 not 10:47. Get to your car and follow me before Jessica cancels our appointment."

The smile was wiped from his face by the time I rolled my window back up. He raced to his car and jumped in as I left the parking lot. I was fuming by the time we reached Jessica's office. Mike grabbed my arm before I opened the door and spun me around to face him.

"I'm so sorry I was late, Bella. I got caught up in a meeting and lost track of time. Please, don't be mad at me. I promise not to be late for any more appointments, okay?"

Mike ran his thumb over my cheek, trying to calm me. I sighed in defeat and nodded my head. What he did next took me by surprise. Mike cupped my face with his hands and leaned toward me, looking intently into my eyes the entire time. I sucked in a quick breath as his lips neared mine. My eyes closed on their own, readying myself for the contact. Just as his lips touched mine, I heard the jingle of the door open. I gasped in shock and jumped back.

"Oh…crap. Did I interrupt something?" Jessica asked from the door way. An embarrassed look on her face. I cleared my throat and looked over at Mike, who was disappointed beyond belief.

"You didn't. Don't worry about it. Sorry we're late. Mike's meeting went on longer than we expected." I quickly grabbed Mike's hand and walked into the office, following Jessica. We were directed to her desk and sat opposite her. On her desk I saw stacks upon stacks of thick books and portfolio's. I held in the impulse to let out an irritated sigh.

"Jessica, this is my fiancé, Michael. Mike, this is the wedding planner, Jessica."

"It's nice to finally meet you, Michael." Jessica said as she shook Mike's hand.

"Please, call me Mike. I'm sorry I haven't been able to meet with you earlier. It's just that I've been caught up with work."

"I understand completely. Are we ready to get to work?" Jessica smiled politely and looked at us. Mike and I looked at each other in unison, we both let out a sigh and nodded at each other. I watched as Jessica picked up one of the thick portfolio's and laid it out in front of us. My head started to swim as I saw page after page of wedding invitations. Oh God, was this torture ever going to end?

I couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief as we left Jessica's office. After many hours of deliberation we finally picked out an invitation that was appropriate for the wedding. As I walked towards my car, Mike in tow behind me, I noticed that this day was different for some reason. I couldn't place my finger on it until I looked up to the sky. I gasped in surprise- the sun was out. It wasn't shining brightly nor could you feel any heat but it was floating amongst the clouds, making it's presence known. It was very rare when the sun was out in Seattle, let alone during this time of the year.

"Look, the sun is out. How often does that happen?" Mike followed my line of sight towards the clouds.

"Not often. Do you have any where to be at right now? I was hoping that you could join me for lunch." As much as I would of enjoyed having lunch with him on a beautiful day, like today, I had more pressing issues at hand.

"Actually, I do have somewhere to be at right now. I'm meeting up with Rose. She wants to know how the planning is going. Can I take a rain check?" I bit my lip, hoping he wouldn't get mad.

"Yeah, that's fine. I'll call you later. Maybe I can take you out for dinner." I smiled at Mike, appreciating that he understood.

"Absolutely. I'll call you when I'm done." I gave Mike a quick hug before dashing off to my car.

As I neared the café, where I would be meeting Rosalie, I couldn't help but imagine what my life was going to be like within the next year. I sat down at our usual table and tried to push those thoughts from my mind for the time being. Once I was in the safety of my home, I would imagine whatever my mind threw at me. For now, I would enjoy my time with Rosalie. Darkness took over my vision as I felt two hands cover my eyes. Fear took over my body but before it could settle in, I heard a familiar laugh at my ear.

"Guess who?" I shook my head as Rosalie giggled behind me.

"Ummm, I have no idea who this is." I responded back while picking up my drink, taking a sip.

"Oh, come on, Bella! You know exactly who this is." I finally gave in and laughed.

"Is this Rosalie Hale? The most beautiful woman to walk the streets of Seattle?" I laughed louder as Rose gasped in shock, removing her hands from my eyes.

"For your information, I'm the most beautiful woman to walk the face of the planet. Thank you very much." Rosalie joked but her statement wasn't hard to believe.

I lost track of time as Rosalie and I began to talk about the wedding. Her cheerfulness was contagious and for the first time, since this whole ordeal began, I was actually getting excited about the wedding. The feeling only lasted for a minute before another familiar emotion replaced it. The conversation finally headed into the direction that I had been dreading and anticipating at the same time.

" So, did you find the dress yet?" I could see a light flicker on in Rosalie's eyes. I kept silent, purposely prolonging the silence. You could almost hear a drum roll.

"Yes, I did!" My excitement from before returned again. Rosalie had accompanied me on previous dress hunting journeys. Each time ended the same as we left a bridal store-empty-handed, tired and annoyed. At the end of the day Rosalie encouraged me that we would find the perfect dress, out there somewhere. So, her reaction didn't surprise me as she ran around the table and pulled me into a tight hug.

"I can't believe you finally found it, Bella! What does it look like? Does it have a train? What kind of fabric is it made out of? When can I see it?"

"Rosalie, slow down! I'll tell you everything you want to know." I laughed and dove into the description of my dress.

"It sounds absolutely gorgeous, Bella. When can I see you wearing it? As the maid of honor, I'm entitled to an opinion." Rosalie's smile faded as my eyes betrayed what I was truly feeling.

"What's wrong? Did I say something that upset you?" I shook my head. My hands twisted nervously in my lap as I thought about what I was going to say.

"Rosalie…five years ago, you told me that you would help me with anything. No matter what it was. Does that still apply now? Even after such a long time?" Rosalie took my hands in hers.

"Of course, Bella. I meant the five years ago and I still mean it now. What's wrong?" I looked into her caring eyes.

"It's about the dress. I have a problem with it." Confusion now also present in her eyes.

"But, you just told me that the dress is perfect. What's wrong with it?"

"The dress is perfect, I'm not. The problem is me." Tears fell onto our clasped hands. Stupid emotions. Rosalie scooted closer to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder.

"Don't say that, Bella. You are not a problem, that dress isn't perfect compared to you. Talk to me." I sniffed the tears away and explained my situation.

"So basically, the dress is a little tight on you but you bought it anyways because you won't find a better dress anywhere else."

"Yes, but here's where you come in. I know I don't need to say this but I'll say it anyways. You have the body that any woman would trade their soul to have." Rosalie blushed, playfully rolling her eyes. I took this as my cue to continue.

"It's obvious that you know how to stay in shape. So...I was wondering if you could help me to lose weight, so I can fit into my dress." I felt blood rush into my cheeks at an alarming rate.

"Oh, Bella. Is that all?" She once again pulled me into a hug. I waited for her response. It was very unlike me to ask anyone for help. I didn't like to push my problems onto other people who had their own issues to solve. It took a lot of courage from my part to ask Rosalie for her assistance.

"I'd love to help but I have a better idea." My head snapped up at this. I watched as Rosalie dug through her purse in search of something.

"What are you doing, Rose?" She held up one finger while rummaging through her massive bag.

"Ah ha! Here we go." I saw as she twirled a business card in between her fingers.

"Bella, what would you say if I told you to hire a person trainer?" The look on her face was mischievous as she said this. Horror swept across my face as I understood where she was getting at.

"No. No, Rose. I am not doing that." I whined, feeling the tears come back full force.

"Just think about it Bella-" I cut Rosalie off before her train of thought could go any further.

"No, Rosalie. I can't hire a personal trainer! That's a horrible idea. Why can't I just go to the gym and work out with you?" Anger quickly took place of my sadness as I really thought about Rosalie's suggestion.

" Bella, calm down. You're going to give yourself a heart attack. We can't have a wedding if the bride is dead." I narrowed my eyes.

"Just hear me out, okay?" I nodded my head and listened to Rosalie's crazy idea.

"There are a lot of reasons as to why a personal trainer would be more beneficial to you than going to the gym with me. Reason number one,..." I looked at Rosalie as she began to tick off the reasons on her fingers.

"...the gym that I go to is closed by the time you get off work. If you had a personal trainer you could create a flexible schedule as to when you two could meet. Reason number two and three, you would be wasting your time and money if you got a gym membership. Tell me something, if we were to go to a gym at this very moment what would you do?"

Rosalie's question caught me off-guard. I opened my mouth to speak, hoping a witty response would come out, but nothing came. Rosalie smiled in triumph.

"Exactly what I though. Honestly, I wouldn't know what to do either. A personal trainer, on the other hand, would know exactly what to do for you, Bella. He could focus solely on you. Plus, you wouldn't be wasting your money at a gym, not knowing what do, if you had a personal trainer." Rosalie leaned back in her seat, smiling smugly, waiting for my decision.

As much as I didn't want to admit it, she was completely right. Being the person that I am, I wasn't going to give in that easily.

"But how do I know that I can trust in this person? For all I know, he could be a molester posing as a personal trainer just to get away with touching people." My excuse sounded ridiculous even to my ears but it was the best excuse I could come up with. I could see, as Rosalie rolled her eyes, that she didn't fall for it either.

"These people are certified professionals, Bella. People go to college and get degrees in this profession. I could run a background check on him if you want me to." To prove her point, Rosalie began dialing on her cell phone. I quickly yanked the phone away from her hand, shutting it.

"You're not just doing this to avoid me, right?" All of a sudden, I felt insecure. What if Rosalie had finally had enough of me? I wouldn't blame her if she wanted to avoid me.

"No, no. Of course not, Bella. How in the world could you think that? I'm just thinking about what's best for you. You can be so silly sometimes." Her words sounded sincere, I couldn't help but believe her. Taking a deep breath, I dove her first into what would surely become a disaster.

"Okay, okay…I'll do it." Rosalie clapped her hands, smiling wide.

"Yay! I have the perfect person in mind to help you. He works-"

"Wait! You know someone that's a personal trainer?" I looked at Rosalie in disbelief.

"Of course I do. He was my personal trainer when I first started modeling. After my career took off, I was able to manage on my own." Before I knew what was happening, Rosalie was up and out of her seat.

"Wait, where are we going?" I took out a twenty from my wallet, placing it on the table.

"Is it okay if we go over to where he works?" I picked up my pace to catch up with her.

"Now? It's almost six, Rose. What kind of personal trainer works at this time?"

"He works at a twenty-four hour gym close by. I'm sure I'll be able to talk to him about

setting up an appointment with you." Huh, there were twenty-four hour gym's nowadays, impressing.

I followed Rosalie to the gym, parking beside her. Before I could get out of my car, Rosalie was at my window, telling me to wait. I did as I was told, trusting in Rosalie. A few minutes later, the passenger down opened. Rose shut the door behind her, turning in her seat towards me.

"So, I talked to him and he would be more than willing to help you. I already set up your first appointment and set up a schedule for you. I hope you don't mind, I know your work times and arranged everything from there." I simply nodded. This was happening a lot faster than I anticipated.

"Here are the guidelines, contract, schedule and basic rules." Various papers were placed into my hands. I would definitely go over the contract once I was at home, I didn't want to get scammed.

"Call him tomorrow morning to verify your appointment. Here's his business card. Oh crap, I really have to go. Call me later, okay?" I hugged Rose goodbye. As I read the business card one thought ran through my mind: What was I getting myself into?

_Edward Cullen_

_Professional Fitness Instructor _

_(206) 415-8699_

**A/N:** I'll try to explain this in the shortest way possible. A few weeks ago we took my mom to the ER because she had painful stomach problems. Bluntly put, I was freaking out. My mom is my best friend, my support system, my hero, to see her in such pain and not being able to do anything about it, took a toll on me. I stayed strong for my little sister but inside I was panicking. We found out that her gallbladder had to be removed and that she would have to stay in the hospital that very day. Everything happened so fast and before I knew it, she was out of the OR. My sister and I took care of her while she slowly but surely got better. We brought her home and nursed her back to health. Thankfully, she's a lot better.

Now, in order to pay for the hospital bills that will come any day now, I had to get a job. My job is very demanding. Sometimes, I have to work up to 14 hours a day. Unfortunately, I have to work during the weekend sometimes. By the end of the day, I'm so tired, all I can think about is sleep, thus delaying my updates. This situation came out of nowhere but I'm determine to make the best of it. If anything, I'll be trying even harder to update. During my breaks, the only thing I do is write. Please, be patient with me. I have a lot of plans for this story and all I can hope is that you'll stick by me while this story unravels itself. I can assure you that you won't be disappointed. Thank you to anyone that read this.

Love, Fatima.


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